Wire-wound gun.



No. 67!,879. Patented Apr. 9, 19C".

W. CROZIER. WIRE WOUND GUN. Application filed Jan. 20, 1898. RenewedFeb. 26 1900;)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

WILLIAM OROZIER, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

WIRE-WOUND GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,879, dated April 9,1901. Application filed January 20, 1898I Renewed February 26, 1900.$erial No. 6.616. \No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM OROZIER, captain in the Ordnance Departmentof the United States Army, stationed at Washington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWire-Wound Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to the class of guns in which a central tube isreinforced by layers of wire. It is a fact well known to constructors ofordnance that in guns of the class mentioned difficulty is encounteredin securing proper longitudinal strength of the cannon, the wire envelophaving no resistance in the direction of the axis of the bore. A featureof my invention consists of the manner of so looking together the partsof the gun that they cannot separate in a longitudinal direction underthe action of the forces to which the gun is subjected, at the same timeinterrupting in a very slight degree the continuity of the Wire envelop.I

It is also a fact, not so generally recognized, that a wire-wrapped guncannot be made of any greater theoretical tangential strength than can agun built up of concentric cylinders shrunk one upon the other, theouter cylinders being of the same material as the tube, provided theradii of the cylinders be properly proportioned and their number be notless than four, for with such a built-up gun the limit of thecompressive resistance of the tube under the action of the outercylinders when assembled and of its resistance to extension under theaction of the powderpressure can be attained without overstraining anyof the outer cylinders, and more than this cannot be gained either bygreater strength or greater subdivision of the said outer parts. It ispossible, however, to so assemble upon the central tube a wire envelopand cylinders of solid metal as to cause the Wire to sustain a largeproportion of the tangential strain, relieving the solid cylinder orcylinders, which can then be made of weaker and cheaper material withoutcausing the strength of the finished gun to be in any degree less thanif the solid cylinder or cylin ders were of the finest quality ofmaterial. The manner of efiecting the combination so as to produce thisresult forms another fea ture of my invention.

It is also a fact, again not so generally rec ognized, that in a gun soconstructed as to utilize the full resistance of the tube, both tocompression and extension, the tangential resistance to' thepowder-pressure in the bore is an increasing function of the totalthickness of the continuous wall surrounding the bore, so that if anyportion of the wall of the piece be detached from the other portions,the con tinuity not being perfect in the direction of the radius for thepurpose of separately supporting the whole or a part of the longitudinalstrain, such detached portion, adding to the weight of the piece andcontributing nothing to the strength to resist the principal strainwhich it has to support-viz., the tangential-is to a certain extentwasted. The manner of avoiding such waste forms another feature of myinvention.

With this preliminary discussion, which is necessary to a completeunderstanding of my improvements, I will now proceed to describe thecompleted gun which embodies them.

In the accompanying drawings the upper half of Figure 1 represents alongitudinal section of the gun and the lower half a side elevation.Fig. 2 represents a section on the plane 2 2, on' an enlarged scale; andFig. 3 represents an enlargement of a part of Fig. 1.

Like letters denote like parts in the different views.

A is a tube of strong tough material, preferably of the best attainablegrade of forged steel.

B is an envelop of wire wound over the rear portion of the tube,abutting at the rear against a ring 0, of suitable form, screwed orotherwise attached to the tube, as at c, and abutting at the forward endagainsta series of rings D D D D D D which I denominate step-rings.

B is an envelop of wire wound upon the forward portion of the tube,abutting at the front end against a ring E, of suitable form, and at therear end against the step-rings D, to D The ends of the Wires arefastened in any of the usual ways. The wire over the rear portion of thetube is wound with such a tension and the envelop is of such thicknessthat the metal about the bore of the tube shall be compressed thereby tothe full extent to which it is designed that it shall be compressed inthe finished gun, leaving no further compression to be effected by anyother part. The wire over the forward portion of the tube is of suchquantity and quality and wound at such tension as to produce apredetermined compression of and compressive strain on the metal of thisportion of the bore.

Over the rear portion of the gun, now composed of the wire-wound tube,is placed a jacket F with a very slight shrinkage, approaching as nearlyas is mechanically possible a shrinkage of zero, the object being toinsure that the jacket shall form an integral part of the wall of thegun without exerting any normal pressure upon the wire envelop. By ashrinkage of zero I mean that the jacket should be made with as nearlyas practicable an interior diameter, before assemblage, equal to thenormal exterior diameter of the wire coil, any shrinkage being merelysufficient to cause the jacket to form an integral part of the structurewithout break of continuity, but not to increase in any way the initialcompression on the tube. The jacket has upon its inner surface, near theforward end, a shoulderf, which abuts against the outer step-ring. Thebushing H, containing the breech-block, (not shown,) is screwed into therear end of the jacket, as at h, and backs up the ring 0 and overlapsthe rear end of the tube A.

The trunnion-hoop K is screwed upon the jacket, as at it, near theforward end thereof. By this construction the jacket supports thelongitudinal strain due to the resistance of the gun-carriage at thetrunnions and to the inertia of the jacket F, the wire envelop B, andthe tube A.

The inner step-ring D is shrunk upon the tube. The wire of the envelop Bis wound approximately half-way up the thickness of the ring. The secondstep-ring D is then shrunk upon the surface of the wire envelop,abutting against the ring 0, and so on until the step-rings are allplaced and the winding of the envelop B is completed, the outer ringbeing left, as shown, projecting approximately half its thickness. Thewinding of the envelop B is then effected. The steprings, abutting firstagainst the tube, then against one another, and ultimately against thejacket, form the connection between the tube and the jacket, by whichthe greater part of the longitudinal strain is transmitted to thelatter. By their arrangement, each one except the inner and outer havingwire both inside and outside of it, they interrupt as little as possiblethe continuity of the wire envelop extending throughout the length ofthe tube. They are put on with such shrinkage as to assist in the designof the gradual diminution of the compression of the metal at the surfaceof the bore in proceeding from the breech toward the muzzle.

The ring M is shrunk on the jacket in front of the trunnion-ring and thebands P P to P are shrunk on the wire envelop in front of the jacket.The dimensions and shrinkages of the bands M and P to P are so adjustedas to produce a proper finish and to assist in the gradual diminution ofcompression, they have but a comparatively slight strain to endure,and,like the jacket, may be made of cheap material, preferablycast-steel.

The rings P to P 850., are shrunk upon the forward portion of the chase.Their office is to furnish a protection for the wire envelop, and theymay or may not be taken into consideration in estimating the strength ofthe gun.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a gun the combinationof a tube, a

wire envelop surrounding said tube, and a.

jacket placed outside the envelop with steprings ofsuccessively-increasing diameter abutting against the tube, one anotherand the jacket and formiiig a rigid connection for transmittinglongitudinal strain between the tube and jacket, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a gun the combination of a tube, a wire envelop surrounding saidtube, a jacket placed outside the envelop, and step-rings embedded insaid wire envelop, and forming a rigid connection between the tube andthe jacket, substantially as described.

3. In a gun, the combination of an inner tube provided with a shoulderat or near the trunnions, a wire envelop wound about said inner tube, ajacket inclosing the rear portion of said wire envelop and provided witha shoulder on its inner face forward of the shoulder on said tube, and aplurality of overlapping step-rings embedded in said wire envelop andinterposed between said shoulders, substantially as described.

4. In a gun, the combination with an inner tube provided with an annularshoulder at or near the trunnions, a wire envelop wound about said innertube, a jacket inclosing the rear portion of said wire envelop andprovided with an annular shoulder on its inner face forward of theshoulder on the tube, and a plurality of overlapping step-rings placedone behind the other and abutting against each other, embedded in saidwire envelop and forming an interposed rigid hearing between theshoulders on the tube and on the jacket, substantially as described.

5. In a gun, the combination of a tube, a wire envelop surrounding saidtube, a jacket placed outside the envelop, and step-rings embedded insaid wire envelop, and forming a rigid connection between the tube andthe jacket, and a trunnion-band secured onto said jacket, substantiallyas described.

6. In a gun, the combination of an inner tube provided with a shoulderat or near the trunnions, a wire envelop wound about said inner tube, ajacket inclosing the rear portion of said wire envelop and provided witha shoulder on its inner face forward of the shoulder on said tube, and aplurality of overlapping step-rings embedded in said wire envelop andinterposed between said shoulders, and a trunnion-band secured onto saidjacket, substantially as described.

7. In a gun, the combination with an inner tube provided with an annularshoulder at or near the trunnions, a wire envelop wound about said innertube, a jacket inclosing the rear portion of said wire envelop andprovided with an annular shoulder on its inner face forward of theshoulder on the tube, and a plurality of overlapping step-rings placedone behind the other and abutting against each other, embedded in saidwire envelop and forming an interposed rigid bearing between theshoulders on the tube and on the jacket, and a trunnion-band securedonto said jacket, substantially as described.

8. In a gun, the combination of a tube, a wire envelop surrounding saidtube, and a jacket placed outside the envelop with steprings ofsuccessively increasing diameter abutting against the tube, one anotherand the jacket and forming a rigid connection for transmittinglongitudinal strain between the tube and jacket, and a trunnion-bandsecured onto said jacket, substantially as described.

9. In a gun the combination of a tube, a wire envelop surrounding saidtube, a jacket placed outside the envelop with step-rings ofsuccessively -increasing diameter abutting against the tube, one anotherand the jacket and forming a rigid connection for transmittinglongitudinal strain between the tube and jacket, and a bushing screwedinto the rear of said jacket and forming an abutment for the rear end ofsaid tube, substantially as described.

10. In a gun the combination of a tube, a wire envelop surrounding saidtube, a jacket placed outside the envelop, step-rings embedded in saidwire envelop, and forminga rigid connection between the tube and thejacket, and a bushing screwed into the rear of said jacket and formingan abutment for the rear end of said tube, substantially as described.

11. In a gun, the combination of an inner tube provided with a shoulderat or near the trunnions, a wire envelop wound about said inner tube, ajacket inclosing the rear portion of said wire envelop and provided witha shoulder on its inner face forward of the shoulder on said tube, aplurality of overlapping step-rings embedded in said wire envelop andinterposed between said shoulders, and a bushing screwed into the rearof said jacket and forming an abutment for the rear end of said tube,substantially as described.

12. In a gun, the combination with an inner tube provided with anannular shoulder at or near the trunnions, a wire envelop wound aboutsaid inner tube, a jacket inclosing the rear portion of said wireenvelop and provided with an annular shoulder on its inner face forwardof the shoulder on the tube,,a plurality of overlapping step-ringsplaced one behind the other and abutting against each other, embedded insaid Wire envelop and forming an interposed rigid bearing between theshoulders on the tube and on the jacket, and a bushing screwed into therear of said jacket and forming an abutment for the rear end of saidtube, substantially as described.

13. In a gun, the combination of a tube, a

wire envelop'surroundingsaid tube, a jacket placed outside the envelop,and step-rings embedded in said wire envelop, and forming a rigidconnection between the tube and the jacket, a trunnion-band secured ontosaid jacket, and a bushing screwed into the rear of said jacket andforming an abutment for the rear end of said tube, substantially asdescribed.

14. In a gun, the combination of an inner tube provided with a shoulderat or near the trunnions, a wire envelop wound about said inner tube, ajacket inclosing the rear portion of said wire envelop and provided witha shoulder on its inner face forward of the shoulder on said tube, aplurality of overlapping step-rings embedded in said wire envelop andinterposed between said shoulders, and a trunnion-band secured onto saidjacket, and a bushing screwed into .the rear of said jacket and formingan abutment for the rear end of said tube, substantially as described.

15. In a gun, the combination of a tube, a wire envelop surrounding saidtube, and a jacket placed outside the envelop with steprings ofsuccessively increasing diameter abutting against the tube, one anotherand the jacket and forming a rigid connection for transmittinglongitudinal strain between the tube and jacket, a trunnion-band securedonto said jacket, and a bushing screwed into the rear of said jacket andforming an abutment for the rear end of said tube, substantially asdescribed. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CROZIER.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. 000K, NATHAN HAZEN.

